ThePowerGeeks.com » roku http://thepowergeeks.com The Power Geeks Radio Show Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:25:22 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 For Geeks, By Geeks. We update every week to bring you the latest in everything geek. Tech, gaming, movies, and general nerdery. Get you geek on Neeenjas! Steven Molen clean Steven Molen darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com darthmolen@thepowergeeks.com (Steven Molen) The Power Geeks Radio Show ThePowerGeeks.com » roku http://thepowergeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/power_symbol_square.jpg http://thepowergeeks.com The Power Geeks #33 http://thepowergeeks.com/2010/01/the-power-geeks-33/ http://thepowergeeks.com/2010/01/the-power-geeks-33/#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:13:14 +0000 DarthMolen http://thepowergeeks.com/?p=16293 Intro

Shout out to Listener Shane from MN. thanks for the kind words and keep listening. (JP)

Deal of the Week

  • 2 Amazon Deals: Wii Mature Games for $13 (from @custompcmax: answering @fyrgurl’s question)
  • ThinkGeek having a Sale (up to 83.347225% off)
    • Red Swinlgine Stapler, Spycam Lighters, Crayola Executive Pen, Rubick’s Cube Salt n Pepper Shakers
      • They also have a RED inflatable 20 sided Die!!!! So big it rolls 40 is the tagline!!! (JP)

Geek Speak

Also from CES WebApps coming to your TV from VuDu (JP)

  • Partnering with manufacturers likeMitsubishi, Sanyo, Sharp, & Toshiba
  • Add a streaming Movie service and apps by the hundreds including:
    • Pandora
    • Flickr
    • Picasa
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • AP
    • New York Times
    • Dailymotion
    • Stock Quotes
    • Weather
    • NBC Nightly News

    Also Quick note about the U1 Hybrid we discussed last week which I feel stole the show at CES…  (JP)

    • When you detach the tablet part… the base running windows 7… continues to function as a pc
    • so if you have it attached to a monitor… you’re actually getting 2 for the price of one!

PopBox – another Star from CES (JP)

  • Take Syabas’ Popcorn Hour C-200, the much-loved streamer of choice for AV nerds.
  • Now make it smaller, add Netflix support and a far superior interface,
  • cut the price from $300 to $130. That’s the Popbox.
    • Not the Hackable beast that is the Popcorn Hour… that stays in the lineup
    • This is for normal average everyday joe’s at home!
    • Simple, and cheap! very nice….
Boxee Box – the other white meat at CES (kdr)

  • Boxee was software based on the open source project XBMC (Xbox Media Center)
  • Which streams video to your TV from the Web and other sources
  • Partnered with DLink to create a hardware device to sit “ON TOP OF” your A/V pyramid or stack… (This is important)
    • Keep this in mind when you look at the odd shaped, yet somewhat sleek box  — err boxlike shape…
    • the list of compatible files is comprehensive:

      Video: Adobe Flash 10.1, H.264 (MKV, MOV), VC-1, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVI, Xvid, Divx, PCM/LPCM, VOB

      Audio: MP3, WMA, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, AAC, DTS, Dolby Digital, Ogg Vorbis

      PHOTO: JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG   —- Basically you name it you got it…

      • Stream local files from USB HD or SD cards… OR
      • Connect using Ethernet or 802.11N wireless to stream Net content.
      • Very Simple and cool remote also made waves:
      • Looks a lot like an Apple remote on front… but…
      • Flip it over for a full keyboard
3DTV – Do we really want it? (SM)
  • We talked about 3D TV’s channels last week
  • Is this “Novelty” or do we really see a value-add?
  • (JP) Explain all the caveats – different glasses, types of panels, players, scarcity of content
  • “3D ready TV’s” (Plasma vs LCD vs OLED)
  • 3D blu-ray players are forthcoming (PS3 will just need a software update)
  • (SM) Explain TV watching habits
    • Channel surfing, very little dedicated watching, feels Niche and are people willing to pay premium?
  • (kdr) 3D on PS3 – possible okay for watching tv, but will I get migraines from gaming?
    • i feel weird after playing guitar hero for too long (is that just me?) (Nope I have trouble looking at objects after a long session – JP )
    • CNET says no. Although in the future, in addition to the firmware update, gamers will need to purchase a Sony LH or HX series 3D-capable TV to get everything working correctly

(kdr) also concerned about long term eye strain (speculation)

  • dark polarized glasses coupled with 3D images for 2+ hours could take major toll, how often could the 3D features actually be utilized?
  • plus i dont wanna look like i have a collection of blue blockers
  • Could nasty projector setups become a thing of the past?
  • Special Intel Processor (i5 & i3 suite), special device drivers, special receiver, = voila, instant connect to a screen for your laptop
  • Are there 2 many moving parts and is it too proprietary? How many years before we see this catching on?
  • (kdr) super cool, but I already own a lappy – will they come out with an adapter to enable this feature for my current laptop?
Sixense – 3D Motion Control on PC before the Consoles
  • Microsoft has Natal, Sony has their Wand, both use camera(s), both not released yet
  • the PC has “sixense”, a double wand system that uses electro-magnetic sensors (black tower and 2 wands) (not released yet either)
  • Razer has picked it up and is pimping it, Valve is a premier partner
  • True 1-1
  • But will PC users really want this? (seems like it would be very awkward, from the demo at least -kdr)

Green Gadgets from CES (kdr)

Tech,Gaming, and Geek News

Google Not Filtering Chinese Site Anymore (SM)

  • Google has always gone by the saying “Don’t Be Evil”
  • Experts were baffled when in 2006, Google bowed to the Chinese gov’t and filtered their searches
  • They had a choice: stay outside the great firewall of china w/ no filtering, open an office in china and filter
  • They chose to filter with the idea that better performance would lead to more ideas being processed
  • Apparently, Google has about faced and will be unfiltering their searches, which will mean they will need to close their office IN China
  • Attacks on gmail from within China caused the soul-searching
  • Will this change the way other businesses interact with China? (optional, don’t have to get into it if we don’t have time)

(kdr) Facebook wants to fund computer science PhD students

  • FB is offering fellowships to students pursuing PhD-level research in computer science
  • $30,000 stipend for nine months
  • only string attached: is research focus needs to be directly applicable to Facebook

Intarweb Goldmine

  • 9th Annual “Pantless Subway Ride” (SM)
    • Saw this on the news and was thinking Monday when I took the train into the city for meetings… “Thank the lord that wasn’t today!” – JP
  • Santa Fe Wi-Fi Fears Keep Getting Weirder – kdr
    • residents attempted to get all public Wi-Fi hotspots banned stating the APs irritated their supposed “electromagnetic allergies”
    • the group tried to use the Americans With Disabilities Act
    • one member is even trying to sue his neighbor for not turning off his electronic devices & stating this is causing him to be homeless!

Extra Links

Sponsors

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- New System – Under $1000 – Still handcrafted with care
DoghouseSystems VS
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-Don’t forget their laptop which has 2 graphics card built in, the mobius, at a mid-line desktop price
-If you want all the bells and whistles, they can handcraft that too, just call them up during normal business hours, they’ll talk with you, find out your needs, and recommend the system that you need (not the one that costs the most)
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]]> http://thepowergeeks.com/2010/01/the-power-geeks-33/feed/ 2 ces2010,apple,tablet, microsoft,natal,sixense,motion,sony,roku,boxee,u1,lenovo Intro Shout out to Listener Shane from MN. thanks for the kind words and keep listening. (JP) - Deal of the Week 2 Amazon Deals: Wii Mature Games for $13 (from @custompcmax: answering @fyrgurl's question) House of the Dead: Overkill Intro Shout out to Listener Shane from MN. thanks for the kind words and keep listening. (JP) Deal of the Week 2 Amazon Deals: Wii Mature Games for $13 (from @custompcmax: answering @fyrgurl's question) House of the Dead: Overkill MadWorld ThinkGeek having a Sale (up to 83.347225% off) Red Swinlgine Stapler, Spycam Lighters, Crayola Executive Pen, Rubick's Cube Salt n Pepper Shakers They also have a RED inflatable 20 sided Die!!!! So big it rolls 40 is the tagline!!! (JP) Geek Speak Also from CES WebApps coming to your TV from VuDu (JP) Partnering with manufacturers likeMitsubishi, Sanyo, Sharp, & Toshiba Add a streaming Movie service and apps by the hundreds including: Pandora Flickr Picasa Facebook Twitter AP New York Times Dailymotion Stock Quotes Weather NBC Nightly News Also Quick note about the U1 Hybrid we discussed last week which I feel stole the show at CES...  (JP) When you detach the tablet part... the base running windows 7... continues to function as a pc so if you have it attached to a monitor... you're actually getting 2 for the price of one! PopBox - another Star from CES (JP) Take Syabas' Popcorn Hour C-200, the much-loved streamer of choice for AV nerds. Now make it smaller, add Netflix support and a far superior interface, cut the price from $300 to $130. That's the Popbox. Not the Hackable beast that is the Popcorn Hour... that stays in the lineup This is for normal average everyday joe's at home! Simple, and cheap! very nice.... Boxee Box - the other white meat at CES (kdr) Boxee was software based on the open source project XBMC (Xbox Media Center) Which streams video to your TV from the Web and other sources Partnered with DLink to create a hardware device to sit "ON TOP OF" your A/V pyramid or stack... (This is important) Keep this in mind when you look at the odd shaped, yet somewhat sleek box  --- err boxlike shape... the list of compatible files is comprehensive: Video: Adobe Flash 10.1, H.264 (MKV, MOV), VC-1, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVI, Xvid, Divx, PCM/LPCM, VOB Audio: MP3, WMA, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, AAC, DTS, Dolby Digital, Ogg Vorbis PHOTO: JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG   ---- Basically you name it you got it... Stream local files from USB HD or SD cards... OR Connect using Ethernet or 802.11N wireless to stream Net content. Very Simple and cool remote also made waves: Looks a lot like an Apple remote on front... but... Flip it over for a full keyboard 3DTV - Do we really want it? (SM) We talked about 3D TV's channels last week Is this "Novelty" or do we really see a value-add? (JP) Explain all the caveats - different glasses, types of panels, players, scarcity of content "3D ready TV's" (Plasma vs LCD vs OLED) 3D blu-ray players are forthcoming (PS3 will just need a software update) (SM) Explain TV watching habits Channel surfing, very little dedicated watching, feels Niche and are people willing to pay premium? (kdr) 3D on PS3 - possible okay for watching tv, but will I get migraines from gaming? i feel weird after playing guitar hero for too long (is that just me?) (Nope I have trouble looking at objects after a long session - JP ) CNET says no. Although in the future, in addition to the firmware update, gamers will need to purchase a Sony LH or HX series 3D-capable TV to get everything working correctly (kdr) also concerned about long term eye strain (speculation) dark polarized glasses coupled with 3D images for 2+ hours could take major toll, how often could the 3D features actually be utilized? plus i dont wanna look like i have a collection of blue blockers Wi-Di Technology (SM) Could nasty projector setups become a thing of the past? Special Intel Processor (i5 & i3 suite), special device drivers, special receiver, = voila, The Power Geeks clean 1:03